State urges Hawaii shoppers to use up gift cards, store credits at Sports Authority

2016-05-02T20:20:12Z2016-05-03T03:00:52Z

Sports Authority on Ward Ave. (Image: Google Street View)

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Hawaii shoppers with gift cards, certificates or store credits from Sports Authority should redeem their balances as soon as possible, state officials say.

This request comes after news broke that the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March and that it will begin liquidating its business throughout the U.S., including stores in Hawaii.

The future of Sports Authority remains uncertain, but details will likely emerge in the coming weeks. That’s why it’s important to use up store credits as soon as possible.

"An important guideline with gift cards is to use them as soon as you can, because if a store closes or goes bankrupt, there may be little to no recourse for a consumer to recover an unspent balance," said Stephen Levins, executive director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Protection. "If you currently have a Sports Authority gift card, you should use it immediately to avoid losing whatever credit it contains."

Scientists agree that the Earth has been warming due to human-induced climate change, and as temperatures continue to rise, an increasing amount of severe weather events are expected to occur. Hawaii has already been seeing some of the impacts, researchers say, so how can the state prepare for more severe effects in the future?

Scientists agree that the Earth has been warming due to human-induced climate change, and as temperatures continue to rise, an increasing amount of severe weather events are expected to occur. Hawaii has already been seeing some of the impacts, researchers say, so how can the state prepare for more severe effects in the future?